SICK HEN!!!

[Falsa]

hello, I have had chickens for almost 4 years. One of my hens is going to turn 4 in 3 months. However, she is really sick. we suspect she has ascites as she has a swollen abdomen and makes gargling sounds when she breathes. we have tried giving her antibiotics but that hasn't helped. it has now been a little more than a week now and she is getting worse day by day. for the last week, she sleeps all day and does not eat or drink water unless we make her. She barely can walk and stand. we contemplated taking her to the vet but all the vets near us only work with cats and dogs. I and my sister checked her today and now her swelling is getting really bad to the point where her vent is bulging out and her skin is blue. we are completely lost in what we should do. 2 of our other hens that passed also passed through ascites however it only took 1-2 days for them to die. She has been in this state for a little more than a week. any sort of advice would be much appreciated. thank you!

 

[CloneFly]

@azygous @Wyorp Rock

 

[Mrs. K]

Well, I would put her down. If you do nothing, I am sure that she will die soon.

The broomstick method is easy and quick, and effective. The bird will flap hard, and that upsets people, but really the flapping means the bird has passed. People tend to think that the movement means they botched it, but it doesn't.

Mrs K

 

[azygous]

I agree with @Mrs. K that your hen is dying, is suffering, and the responsible compassionate thing to do is to euthanize her now.

 

[nuthatched]

I'm sorry, I'd put her down.
What are you feeding your birds? Diet often complicates genetic predisposition for issues.

 

[CoopBoots]

I'm so sorry!! I agree... If she isn't showing any will to fight, paired with the extremity of her symptoms, I'd be prepared to end her suffering at this point.

 

[Falsa]

Thank you all for taking the time to reply, the only issue is we cant euthanise her as no vet does it in our area and we dont have the heart to do it ourselves as we love her so much. its a challenging situation.

 

[Wyorp Rock]

I'm sorry about your hen, I agree, putting her out of her misery would be a kindness.

Sadly, letting one go is part of keeping livestock. If you are unable to put her down, do you have a neighbor, parent, friend, etc. that can do this for you?

 

[Mrs. K]

I would not fret it, I would expect the bird to pass very soon.